Coming to Australia (Jordy Smith talks touring down under)

Mr Smith didn’t have the best run in Australia last year. A second round loss to Tiago Pires at Snapper, a quarters bounce via Bede Durbidge at Margies, and a hotly discussed elimination in the fifth at Bells c/o Julian Wilson. To be fair, Jordy did go on to scorch a wildly good biz end of the year, winning Lowers followed by a third at the Quik Pro France, and a second at the Moche Rip Curl Pro, Portugal. Still, the past is just a story, and it’s Australia 2015 we’re looking at right now. Jordy loves Oz! Let’s dance! Interview by Craig Jarvis “Out of the three CT events in Oz, it’s hard for me to choose a favourite. To be honest, I love competing, and that’s what you do at every one of them, so no favourites for me on the Australian leg.” “It’s always a little bit easier when a wave I’m surfing in a contest reminds me of something back home. The feeling of familiarity sometimes leads to confidence. For example, there’s a wave in East London in South Africa called Nahoon Reef. Sometimes when I pick up a certain wave at Bells it feels just like Nahoon.” “It sure is hard to get a 10-point ride at Bells. I tried so hard last year. You really have to line up everything just right, all the way through to the end of the wave, and it’s also a really hard wave to choose. Your wave selection has to be spot-on if you’re hoping for a 10.” “Margaret River is a great wave. It’s a long lefthander but I only look for the rights in competition. They’re the best waves, nine times out of 10, and have way more scoring potential. I’m always hunting the rights. It can be a bit risky on a bigger day paddling back out from a right, but I haven’t been too smashed there yet.” “Bells is actually quite a complex wave, and a wave that’s difficult to master, to totally dominate. It has so much to it that not everyone can see. It has fast sections and slow sections, and changes a lot with the tide. The most comfortable surfer out at Bells on any given day is Joel Parkinson. He makes it look effortless.” “There are so many waves in Australia, and we always go hunting between events, hoping to score outside the contest arena, and test some boards out in a freesurf situation. The best waves I’ve ever scored outside of the contest zone in Australia had to have been at Stradbroke Island. That’s one sick beachie.” “West Australia is a beautiful part of the country, and it’s cool hanging with my wife there in and around the contest. There’s quite a lot to do there, with the vineyards and nice restaurants, and we definitely get out there and enjoy what the area offers. Still, just taking it easy and spending time with each other is best. That’s what puts a smile on my face.” “I’ve said it before; the World Tour is a marathon and not a sprint. You need to plan your campaign over a long period. The tour is drawn out, and needs to be dealt with as such. My goals in surfing over the next 24 months are to enjoy the ride, and to not rush any of it.” Partying in the sand box at African Kirra, Mozambique. And yes – it’s as shallow as it looks. Photo by Alan Van Gysen